Chhattisgarh Finance Minister OP Chaudhary has expressed concern over less expenditure of budget money in the departments of five ministers of the state.
He has written a letter on the issue urging them to speed up the pace of expenditure. He said that the budget is not being spent in the prescribed proportion, due to which the progress of development works is being affected.
Finance Minister Chaudhary said that capital expenditure as per the set targets ensures continuity in work and gives impetus to the economy. He urged that budget targets can be achieved by regularly monitoring and effectively implementing departmental action plans. The Finance Department has directed that it is mandatory for all departments to spend 40% of the budget in the first six months.
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In a letter to Home Minister Vijay Sharma, the FM said that contrary to the expectations of capital expenditure by the Home Department in the budget for the year 2024-25, very little has been spent till August. The Home Department has spent only Rs 31 crore, whereas as per the prescribed limit, 40% should have been spent in the first half.
The Department of Agricultural Development and Farmers Welfare has spent only Rs 18 crore till the month of August, which is much less than the prescribed limit. Only Rs 20 crore has been spent in Tribal Development Department, Backward Class and Minority Development Department.
In the letter sent to Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, it has been said that the Forest and Climate Change Department has also spent less as per the budget. Rs 655 crore has been spent in the Water Resources Department and only Rs 80 lakh has been spent in the Forest and Climate Change Department.
The letter to Urban Administration Minister Arun Sao, states Rs 1,320 crore has been spent in the Public Works Department, Rs 220 crore in the Public Health Engineering Department and Rs 348 crore in the Urban Administration Department.
Health Minister Shyam Hihari Jaiswal letter speaks of Rs 91 crore spending in the Public Health and Family Welfare Department and only Rs 15 lakh has been spent in the Medical Education Department of the total budget for the department.
